The Coast Guard with federal and state agencies interdicted and detained 13 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing and seized approximately 1,500 pounds of fish in federal waters off southern Texas, Friday.

A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crew in coordination with Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Coast Guard Cutter Daniel Tarr, Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center watch standers and Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrews, detected and interdicted the fishermen north of the international Maritime Boundary Line.

Coast Guard crews took the fishermen into custody, brought them ashore, and transferred them to U.S Homeland Security Investigations personnel for processing. Coast Guard personnel also seized approximately 1,500 pounds of red snapper, along with fishing gear and equipment.

Lanchas are fishing skiffs used by Mexican fishermen, typically 20 to 30 feet long, with a slender profile, one outboard motor. Capable of speeds exceeding 30 mph, lanchas are frequently used to illegally fish in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near the U.S.-Mexico border. 

“The illegal harvest and trade of red snapper and other fish species is often a revenue stream for criminal organizations,” according to the Coast Guard, adding that “lanchas may also be used to move illicit drugs and aliens into the United States.”